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The article discusses the challenges of keeping local produce in the national supply chain. While consumers express a preference for buying local, the modern supply chain is designed for large-scale production, which poses difficulties for small-scale farmers. Foodstuffs North and South Islands attempt to support local growers by working directly with them and ensuring compliance with standards. Woolworths NZ also aims to prioritize New Zealand-grown produce and has invested in distribution centers to consolidate fruit and vegetable supply. Additionally, the article mentions the benefits and challenges of selling directly at farmers' markets, which allow growers to set their own prices but require marketing efforts. INSET: GROWERS DOING THE SELLING. [Extracted from the article]

"Obviously the amount of GHG produced per cow is more in a higher-producing cow compared with a lower-producing cow but the GHG produced per kg MS is significantly lower. Using Farmax software, he found reducing the stocking rate by 10% (from 2.6 to 2.4 cows/ha) and improving per-cow production cut GHG by 3.3% and increased profit by 8.6% with cows producing 478kg milksolids (MS) instead of 433kg MS. [Extracted from the article]

Last spring they raised 65 Friesian heifer calves and 230 Wagyu heifers and steers. NZ Wagyu contracts will see 28,000 Wagyu-Friesian cross calves born this spring, doubling the number of the company's cattle in the country. [Extracted from the article]

The R3s are kept separately in the barns, the most at risk age group on the farm, so they get preferential feeding and with the silage tested, Kevin knows exactly how much his cows are getting. "It took a bit of capital, but the wintering barns mean we have a guaranteed cow condition in the spring, regardless of the winter weather, which flows into the rest of the season meaning better cow health and better milk production.". [Extracted from the article]

GLO:16PJ/01Dec21:68n1.jpg PHOTO (COLOR): Number 23 is one of Matthew's favourite cows. gl GLO:16PJ/01Dec21:68n2.jpg PHOTO (COLOR): One of this year's calves gets a hug from Nate (10). gl GLO:16PJ/01Dec21:68n3.jpg PHOTO (COLOR): Jo and Rhys Watkins fill in their opinions on this year's heifers for the Sire Proving Scheme. gl GLO:16PJ/01Dec21:68n4.jpg PHOTO (COLOR): Eight-year-old Jackson hangs out with the cows. gl When Rhys and Jo Watkins took on a 68-hectare dairy farm at Ruawai in Northland 10 years ago they continued many of the previous owners' practices including sire proving. DNA parentage testing of the heifer calves, paid for by LIC, not often done by the neighbouring farmers, make it easier at calving as well. [Extracted from the article]

South Taranaki farmer Hayden Lawrence used to spend nine hours a day, every day, milking. Also, the dairy sector's Great Futures in Dairy Plan, released in June 2022, promotes safer and less physical workplaces to attract and retain staff. [Extracted from the article]

Lots of countries do colour-coded weather warnings and in NZ they happen when the weather looks scary for a particular region in consultation with the National Emergency Management Agency and the regional councils in the affected area. GLO:16PJ/01Jan23:78n1.jpg PHOTO (COLOR): . gl Watching the weather lately?. [Extracted from the article]

'I keep an eye out all the time for equity managers and for equity partners and, when I have the right property, I see if I can make something work'. GLO:16PJ/01Jan23:52n1.jpg PHOTO (COLOR): Brent Irving. gl Young people wanting to make the next step into dairy farm ownership should consider becoming an equity manager, PGG Wrightson Otago real estate agent Brent Irving said. [Extracted from the article]

DAIRY 101 BREEDING Grouping cows so all those getting the samebull are together for the AI technician helps tostop stuff ups, Karen Trebilcock writes As everyone finishes mating for the year,you're probably thinking about all thethings that went wrong and how to do itbetter. If a young bull is trying to service 20 cows ormore on his own every day he won't be gettingthem in calf but he will ride the cows and set offthe heat detection patches or rub off the tail paintso it's easier for you to see. If you don't need more heifer calves, you shouldbe putting the same number of cows to a cheaperbeef straw which gives you more options with thecalf, or at least better money on the bobby truck. [Extracted from the article]

Earlier trial work had showncows eating fodder beet have less nitrogen in their urinethan cows on more protein-rich feeds such as grass orkale. Ross was not sure why there was so much nitrogen left inthe soil in the hub paddocks when the fodder beet hadbeen lifted. SPECIAL REPORT NUTRIENT LOSSES Grazing cows in winter on fodder beet has beenshown to significantly reduce nitrogen losses onfarm Fodder beet has been shown to reduce nitrogen lossesduring winter and early spring, a DairyNZ-funded trial atthe Southern Dairy Hub has found. [Extracted from the article]

Transfer that into something consumers can understand -- the best dairy produce, happy cows, committed staff. THAT SIGN AT THE GATE: Passers by are familiar with the dairy company signs on the gates of New Zealand dairy farms. Cows, Cows and Me, Cows with Milk, Happy Cows and Love Cows are already taken, sorry, along with More Cows, Fat Cows Farming, Hooked on Cows and the clever Heard of Cows. [Extracted from the article]

The grass paddock shown at the field day not only had a low cover but the grass structure was open. Grass and balage wintering, tried for the first time this winter at the Southern Dairy Hub, was not the good look more than 100 visitors at the July 6 field day were expecting to see. [Extracted from the article]